Roads Seldom Traveled
by Dunkacoke
Summary: The Fall of Beacon was felt by people all over Remnant, but no one felt it more than those who were there. Months after the night, Jaune, Ren, and Nora travel around the villages of Vale, protecting those that need it most. Post-volume 3 where team RNJR doesn't form and travel to Mistral, but instead team JNR decided to become hunters through trial.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Prologue

"Jaune, are you sure you're ready for this?"

Truth be told, Jaune wasn't ready. He had been putting this moment off for as long as he could, trying to stretch the time until he would have to go through with this arduous task. But he had run out of excuses. Everyone in Vale was safe, Beacon was sufficiently locked down, and everyone had finished their period of mourning.

"Yea, I'm ready."

Tentatively, the blonde knight took a step towards the door in front of him and rapped his knuckles loudly against the hardened wood. He stepped back, and a few moments later the door swung open to reveal one of the house's occupants. He was an aging man, pushing towards the end of middle-aged, which his skin and hairline showed. However, his well-built frame would be more than enough to dissuade anyone foolish enough to try and test him; muscles standing out on his body, apparently unaffected by the passing of time, unlike his other features. However, it was sharp, blue eyes and bright blonde hair which confirmed the man's identity to Jaune's companions.

"Ah, Jaune. Please, come in." The man's voice was cordial, yet forced. It was clear he was holding himself back from acting out.

Hey, Dad." Jaune greeted timidly, stepping into the house. "Who else is home right now?"

"Your mother, Lillian, Violet, and Arabella." Jaune's father's eyes traveled past his son to observe the two other people with him. "Please, come in as well."

"Thank you, Mr. Arc," Ren responded and made to follow Jaune through the doorway. Nora was right behind him, uncharacteristically silent. Jaune's dad simply nodded and turned back into the house.

"Heather! Girls! I suggest you all come downstairs!" The larger man bellowed into the spacious house. Getting no immediate reply, he added on at the end, "And quickly!"

Slowly, the trio heard the sounds of movement coming from upstairs. An older woman was the first to appear at the top of the stairs, with long blonde hair in a braid behind her. At first, she seemed to be lazily making her way down, but when her eyes met the cause of her husband's summons, she became filled with energy.

"Jaune!" The blonde woman practically leaped down the remaining stairs, immediately wrapping her son in a crushing embrace. "Oh gods how we've all missed you!" She let go and held him at arm's length, allowing her eyes to rove all over him. "Why didn't you come home sooner? We've been so worried, we had barely any contact with you at all!"

"Mom, I'm fine. I missed you too-" If the knight had planned on continuing past that point, he was interrupted as several smaller masses rocketed into him. As soon as his sisters had heard the exclamation from their mother, they had rushed to greet their brother as fast as they could. The result was Jaune getting buried under the combined weight of his three younger sisters. He couldn't help but laugh.

"I've missed you all. Now come on, let me up so I can see how much you've grown."

"No. You might run away again." It was Lillian who had responded, one-half of the twins that were the youngest Arc children. Once again, Jaune merely laughed at this, but his father was more than observant enough to notice the look of discomfort which flicked across his son's face.

"Now Lilli, why don't we at least move to the living room. I'm sure there's more than enough space on the sofa for all three of you _and_ Jaune."

Slowly, the mess of blonde on the floor untangled themselves and did as instructed. The whole group made their way into the more spacious living area, settling themselves down the comfortable furniture originally designed to hold the family of ten.

"Now Jaune, why don't you tell us about what you've been doing for the past few months?" His mother asked, getting them on track for the more serious conversation. "We've had barely any contact with you since your initial letter after the fall of Beacon."

This was true enough. With the CCT down after the incident, long-distant communication had gone back to pre-technological means. So while Jaune had had a pretty simple time keeping in touch with his family while studying at Beacon (after getting over the fact he had run away from home. They had been quick to forgive, preferring to be on happy terms with the knight, who in turn tried to update them quite regularly.) However, after the fall, he had sent one long letter explaining his whole situation, how he and his team were staying behind to help get the entire mess sorted, then he would return home. After that, it had been a rare letter home stating he was alive and little else.

It wasn't that Jaune didn't love his family, quite the opposite. However, avoiding them would only make the news he had to break all the easier.

"As I said, we were helping out in Vale. "Jaune gestured to his teammates to make clear who 'we' was. "The city was in shambles, Beacon was overrun, and people needed the aid. It just took longer than expected, that's all." While technically true, the trio had had plenty of chances to leave earlier, all passed up. "But I'm here now to see you all, right?"

"Of course, and that's what's important. And even more, I see you brought your teammates with you. I know you mentioned it in your letter, but we still weren't entirely sure."

"I'm sorry if we're intruding, Mrs. Arc. Jaune suggested it would be okay for us to visit is all." Ren stated politely.

"They don't have a family to return to themselves, so I thought it best if I stayed with them." Jaune quickly added.

"Intruding? Not at all, my dears. And I'm sorry to hear of your situation. Please, feel free to stay with us and Jaune for as long as you need, until you can be okay on your own." Jaune shifted uncomfortably at his mother's words.

That was enough to solidify the knight's father's suspicions. "Jaune will not be staying with us."

The calm words sparked silence before chaos erupted from the three daughters and his wife. "Nicholas, you can't turn out-" the large man raised a hand to silence his family.

"I do not mean he is not welcome to stay. I mean that Jaune does not plan to stay with us, do you?" All eyes turned to Jaune at this, who was uncomfortable to be placed on the spot like this. He knew it was a conversation that would happen eventually, but the knight did not expect it to be thrust into the spotlight.

"I- umm… Well…" He stuttered out. "It's just..."

"Jaune, don't be stupid!" His mother's voice rang harshly across the room, a stark contrast the warm, welcoming voice from before. "You already left us once, and it nearly ended in your death! Why can't you stay with your family?" At the final question, her voice seemed to crack, anger turning to sadness.

"Mom, it's nothing to do with you. Any of you." He added for the benefit of his sisters, all listening in silence. "But now more than ever, people need protecting. I can't just run back home and live peacefully, not while I know the dangers out there. I can fight it, but they can't!"

"But, they have the army for this, the hunters!" She was grasping for an excuse, so that her son could stay with her, away from danger.

"No, Mom. They don't. Too many people _died_ in the fall of Beacon, civilian and defender. They need every fighter they can, and even then it won't be enough. The three of us might not have graduated as hunters, but that's what we need to be right now. For everyone."

" _Why can't you just be my son?"_ His mother's words were barely a whisper, yet everyone heard them clearly.

"Mom, I know this is hard. But this isn't a choice for me. Just look at how many more missions Dad's had to take in the past couple months."

A guess, since Jaune hadn't actually known for sure. But a good guess. With all the panic and chaos going on in the world, hunters were being called upon from all over the continent to do what work they could, and his Dad was no exception to this.

"Jaune's right, Heather." Nicholas, Jaune's father, made to comfort his wife. He was no more happy about this, but he understood the position of the world right now. Any help that could be had was needed. "It's not a good truth, but it is the truth nonetheless."The man now turned back to his son. "What do you plan on doing? How long will you stay?"

"Us three," Jaune motioned over his teammates and himself. "Plan on traveling around the villages around Vale, helping out the towns that need it. And I plan to stay here at least a week if it's okay. I want to see _all_ of my sisters again before we head out."

Nicholas nodded in understanding. "Why don't all of you go unpack then. The guest room is open for your teammates, and your room is still the same. I'm going to have a talk with your mother and sisters."

Jaune, Ren, and Nora stood, nodded their thanks at the understanding Nicholas showed. He was a hunter, after all, so it was expected. But it was still a welcome change from the other members of the Arc clan.

But as the trio made their way up the staircase, the sound of sobbing still came clearly out of the room they had just left.

Their remaining time at the Arc household could not accurately be described as 'happy' _._ Everyone tried their best to put on a smile and act like this was all a welcome family reunion, but the underlying truth put a damper on that.

Jaune was leaving again. And this time there was little guarantee for his safety.

Eventually, all the immediate members of Jaune's family had made their way back home. Sisters had traveled from the surrounding area, away either working or studying. Of course, Lilli, Violet and Arabella, all younger than Jaune (13, 13, and 15 respectively) still lived at home. Then there was July, 18, how was studying to become a teacher in town. Iris, 20, had taken on an apprenticeship nearby, working with metals. She had never been one for typical gender roles. Finally, the oldest siblings, Breanne and Casey, twins at 24. Both bibliophiles, the former owned a bookshop while the latter had become a journalist. While it often found amusing that the youngest and oldest siblings had both ended up as twins, they couldn't have ended up any different. While Breanne and Casey were studious and quiet, Lilli and Violet had ended up as energetic and troublesome.

Jaune loved them all. Which made this all the more difficult.

In the end, Jaune and his team spent closer to two weeks catching up with his family. He wanted the chance to spend time with all his family members; including the more distant family that visited temporarily. Recently, Jaune had met more uncles, in-laws and distant cousins than he knew he had. And with each new person who came to see him, he had to explain once again why he couldn't stay with his family and adopt a quiet life, like all his sisters. Of course, some of them understood. Jaune's dad being one, and his widowed Grandmother. She knew of the duty of Hunters only too well.

But he wasn't going to complain about any of it. This was likely to be the most relaxing time he'll have for a while. A peace he wouldn't be afforded while living town-to-town. However, there was only so long Jaune could put off leaving.

It was ironic, really. The knight had put off the visit to his family for as long as he could, but now that he was here, he could barely bring himself to leave them.

Everyone was currently sitting together for one last dinner; the ten Arcs and their two guests. Heather, Jaune's mom, had been slaving in the kitchen all day, with each person taking shifts to help out where it was needed. The results had been fantastic, a spread of food so wonderful there was barely any talk at the table, people instead choosing to focus on their plates.

This was interrupted, however, when Nicholas stood up from the head of the table, gathering everyone's attention.

"Thank you, everyone. First of all, I think we should all show our appreciation to the chef of this fine meal we were provided." He paused while a chorus of thanks was directed to Mrs. Arc, and even some towards Ren, who had spent nearly as much time in the kitchen himself. This died down as Nicholas continued."But, we all know the purpose of this 'feast'. Some of you might not like it, but Jaune and his team will not be staying with us anymore after tonight. They chose to live the lives of Hunters, and now they're going out to do just that when it's needed the most. I have personally seen that they are ready for this."

That might have been an understatement. Every chance he had gotten, Jaunes father had dragged him away to test his skills as a hunter, physical, technical and mental. And he had been astounded by the huge process the knight had managed to make in less than a year at Beacon.

"So instead of fearing for your brother, be proud of him, like I shall be. He had chosen a path in life many are too scared to choose, and he had excelled in it. I couldn't find a soul more worthy to wield Crocea Mors."

As he sat down again, the whole table burst out in cheers, all directed at Jaune. The blonde in question didn't know how to react. His father's words, they had been so genuine and supportive. His father was a practical man. For years, Jaune had wanted to become a Hunter, but Nicholas hadn't let him. Not because he was worried or harsh, but because he knew factually Jaune hadn't been good enough. Now, instead, his dad was fully supporting his decision. He didn't know what to say. But seeing the pride that still lingered in his father's eyes, Jaune knew he didn't have to say anything.

* * *

Ren sat on the sofa in the Arc living room, waiting for his teammates to be ready. It was an early morning, they couldn't afford to waste any daylight for their journey today. That meant the would be no one up to wish them goodbye, which, honestly, probably made it easier on Jaune.

While he waited, Ren had decided to see if there was anything on the news that could be of use. Local channels could still run without the CCT, luckily. But even so, their group would not have many chances to watch the news while traveling.

' _Today's weather will be mild and dry, with a low chance-'_

*click* Heard it already.

' _Recent White Fang activity has spiked near the Tousaul area-'_

*click* Don't want to hear it. Not our problem anymore.

' _The events at Beacon have shaken Remnant all over, including Mistral who still mourns the loss of four-time Mistrali tournament champ-'_

 _*_ click* The news is useless.

As Ren powered off the TV, he heard the sound of movement from behind him. Turning, he saw that Nora and Jaune were finished waking up and getting ready. That meant they were good to go.

"Everyone's for all they need?" The ninja double checked with them. "Jaune, you sure you don't want to say goodbye?"

"No, I've had enough goodbyes already. I think it's time we go." His response was firm, he knew that it was easier to just leave without anyone seeing them off.

"Okay then, let's go."

As they followed the road away, Ren noticed that his leader's eyes were staring ahead, unwavering. He didn't spare a backward glance for his childhood home.

* * *

 **Here it is, the first chapter of my new fanfic. As you might be able to tell, this is not going to be the same humorous, light theme of my other stories, but instead my attempt on a more serious, dramatic story.**

 **This chapter is meant to set the stage, giving you an idea of how the story will be. It also allows me to solve one of the problems I had with RWBY itself after volume 3, which is Jaunes family. It's never shown what Jaune, Ren, and Nora do between the fall of Beacon and leaving with Ruby, and logically it makes sense Jaune would want to see his family.**

 **Another issue after the fall of Beacon is technology. We see Yang watching the news in volume 4, yet no one (to my memory) uses their scrolls to communicate. Personally, I chose to accept this as local networks still work, but that all scrolls need to go through a CCT tower to work at all, just how they were designed.**

 **Anyways, enough rambling. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will enjoy the chapters to come. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to leave it a review.**

 **-Dunkacoke-**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Crestwood

Jaune looked ahead at his teammate, who had taken the point of their group, leading them with the help of the map.

"Hey Ren, how much longer until we reach Crestwood?"

"At our current pace, we should reach the town in about five days."

"Man, fuck that."

* * *

The barman looked up at the noise of the heavy wooden door creaking open. Business was slow; there were few travelers these days, and even fewer that ventured this far from Vale. As such, it surprised the barman when he saw three soaked figures trudge through his doorway.

It surprised him even more when he realized the travelers couldn't be older than twenty.

As they approached him, the barman was able to discern a few more details about the travelers. It was two boys and one girl, carrying large packs that showed they'd been (or planned to be) on the road for quite some time.

And the fact they all carried weapons.

This actually surprised the man less. People didn't last long on the road if they couldn't defend themselves. However, they didn't carry guns or the general weapons of a village militia. The complex, expensive arms that these travelers had identified them clearly as hunters.

The blonde teen stepped forward, although it was hard to call him blonde with all the mud caked in his hair. "How much for a night? One room." His voice sounded exhausted, as if the group had barely made it here. Given the time, they probably had, rushing to reach the town before nightfall.

"20 lien each, another 5 each if you want food and drink." He could've easily charged them more; his was the only inn in town, and it was probably too late to head back out into the wilderness. However, they were young, they didn't need that kind of treatment. Not to mention an angry Hunter, of any age, is dangerous.

A few seconds later, 75 lien was slapped down before the barman, who nodded graciously and stored it away.

"Room's up the stairs and to the right, Lucy'll show you. She'll also come get you when foods ready."

The three 'hunters' thanked the man and turned to follow the girl, Lucy, who had appeared from behind the counter. She couldn't have been more than twelve. Her brown hair was cut unevenly, but she still smiled warmly as she led the teens to their room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, the group let out a collective sigh.

"I'm going to clean myself off, I better not be interrupted," Nora announced, before leaving in search of cleanliness, leaving the two boys by themselves.

"For the record, I only said it would take five days. I didn't specify what those five days would be like."

"Hate you. So much." Jaune was too tired to dignify his teammate with a full response.

The room was sparse by most people's standards, but to team JNR, it was more than enough. A pair of single beds were set against one side of the room, against the other a pair of chairs and a small table between them. It was pretty awesome.

Lucy had already let the group know that the washrooms were shared among all the residents, but luckily it had a shower in it, so they were happy. After all, in a couple days they would either have sorted out a better arrangement, or be on their way.

While waiting for either Nora or Lucy to return, the boys set to organizing the gear, separating anything that needed to be cleaned out dried out from the rest. They didn't bother to unpack anything else, no point getting too cozy here.

Eventually, Nora finished up in the shower and came back to the room. It was astonishing how different she looked after some water and soap. "Good news! They got a couple showers, so you're both good to go clean up now." Relieved, Jaune and Ren left to clean up. They wouldn't have admitted it, but neither wanted to wait any longer to rid themselves of all the muck.

In the meantime, Nora decided to head back down to the inn. The gear had already been sorted, and it would save sending someone up to fetch them once the food was ready.

A few patrons were still littered around the bar, by themselves or in pairs, nursing their mugs. However, there were more seats empty than occupied, most customers wanting to head home before it got too late. As the ginger girl came down the stairs, no one paid her any heed, electing to instead focus on their own drinks.

Nora sidled into an empty barstool, content to wait until around until she received either food or company. She got the latter when the barman, with nothing better to do, wandered over.

"Food ain't ready yet, want something to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good," Nora's chipper attitude had apparently returned with her cleanliness. "So how you doing? I'm Nora." She extended her hand to the barman, who hesitantly shook it.

"Carmine Shawcross. Now, what brings you folk through Crestwood? Gotta say, travelers are few and far between, what with all the commotion in Vale."

"Well, that's why we're here! Because the Hunters aren't getting out to the distant villages anymore, we thought that we could. Well, Jaune actually thought of it. He's the blonde one. Me and Ren decided to tag along with him. You see, we were studying at Beacon, before, you know." Carmine thought he saw the girl's expression darken for just a second, but it disappeared just as quickly. "So now we're traveling 'round the border towns, seeing who needs any help. We go out, kick some Grimm butt, come back to cheers and applause, and head out for the next town. Say, you guys got a Grimm problem by any chance?"

Carmine took a second to try to comprehend the waterfall of words that had spewed forth from the teen before him. That was...quite the tale, he hadn't been expecting a life story when he asked what brought them to town. Still, probably a good idea to know as much as he could about his new guests, especially if they planned to stay around for a while…

"Best to ask the Mayor about all that Grimm stuff, he'll be the one to decide whether the village hires you, after all. You should be able to go see him tomorrow."

"Alrighty! Say, here come Ren and Jaune, you can get to meet them now!" Sure enough, the pair of boys were making their way down the stairs, still slightly damp. They soon joined their companion at the bar.

"Carmine Shawcross, pleased to meet you." The barman reintroduced himself. "Your friend here has introduced the two of you already."

The boys nodded, and it was the dark haired one to speak up first. "Mr Shawcross, if I may ask, how come the villagers seem… upset with our presence?"

Ah, he'd noticed that rather quickly. Sure enough, the group had been on the receiving end of many baleful glances and quiet murmurs since their arrival. The ginger, Nora, had seemed too hyper to notice it, but the same couldn't be said for Ren.

"Tell me son, if you look behind you, how many of those boys do you think could fight a Grimm?"

"I couldn't say. I haven't seen any of them enough to make such a guess."

"The answer might be a bit surprising for you: nearly all of them could take on a Beowulf if they needed. A few of them, those on the city militia, could probably hold their own against an Ursa or Boarbatusk."

"So you're saying they dislike Hunters because they have no need for them?" The blonde inquired.

"Not at all. The village fairs fine against the smaller Grimm, we have to. If we didn't, there wouldn't be much of a village left. A stray Grimm wandering into town is easily managed, and a pack of Beowolves can be handled with enough of a warning. Sure, if we're unlucky there might be a casualty or two, that's expected out here. We continue on."Carmine paused to make sure all three were following along with his words.

"However, what do you think these men could do if a larger Grimm showed up? Say a Deathstalker, or a King Taijitu? Not very much is your answer."

"No offense sir, but this isn't exactly explaining much." The black haired one really was attentive. Out of them all, Carmine thought he seemed the most like a Hunter.

"As your friend here pointed out," he motioned over to Nora, "you three are here because actual Hunters aren't coming out here. Let me tell you, you aren't the only ones to notice that. When one of those big Grimm come round, we either need to wait for a traveling Hunter, or if it's urgent we call someone in. And with the CCT down, that last one's a damn sight harder than before.."

"So now the towns need to wait for someone to wander through. Someone who isn't coming anymore." It was the blonde who spoke again, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Hit the nail on the head." Maybe these kids were more experienced than he thought. They certainly one the world. "One disaster in the city and were all but left to our own devices. The way these folk see it, it shows the Hunters choosing that the city-folk are more important than us, that were less important citizens. Not to mention it's also shaken their faith, not that they'll tell you. After all, what can a Hunter do to protect a town if a whole legion of them couldn't protect one of the best defended cities on Remnant?"

"I see. These people think that Hunters are failing at their job, and so are losing trust in them." Ren paused to make sure he had it right, before continuing. "If that's the case, is it causing people to move into the cities?"

"Well, _besides_ all the terrorist attacks, people either can't afford it or can't afford to. Take Charles over there," Ren and Jaune turned to observe the man Carmine indicated. He looked to be about 40, solidly built, and perpetually angry. "He's a woodcutter, as was his father. It's all he's done all his life, no formal education to speak of. Now, ignoring the hassle of relocating his whole family to Vale, what employment will a man find if all he can do is cut down trees? It's simply not a choice for these people, which makes this all the worse. Their put in more danger, but there isn't a damn thing they can do about it."

"Well, thanks for telling us all this Mr Shawcross. It's certainly good to know, given what we plan on doing for the next little while in our lives."

" No problem. Besides, these folk will warm up once they get to know ya. They don't hate a Huntsman, they hate _the Hunters._ The whole, not the individual." And it went unsaid that it was pretty obvious what the three were; even now all three still had their weapons by their sides. "Now, lemme go grab you some dinner, and I'll let 'cha get some rest."

"Thank you, Mr. Shawcross. We appreciate what you're doing for us, don't we, Ren, Nor- NORA!" Jaune's voice suddenly took on an alarming volume as his eyes found his female teammate. The girl, who had been oddly quiet for most of the conversation, instead sat a little ways away, grabbing glasses from behind the bar and balancing them in a stack on her head. From the looks of it, Jaune had to guess she must've nearly reached fifteen.

"Ta-da!" Nora made a show of putting one last glass on the stack, before throwing her head back and catching them all in her hands, and once again safely stowing them behind the counter.

Carmine simply shook his head and pushed into the kitchen. "If she breaks anything, you gotta pay for it."

* * *

 **Ta-da! Another chapter of** _ **Roads Seldom Travelled**_ **! I would've liked to have this out sooner, but I was away on vacation and didn't have a way of publishing it. Instead, I'm releasing this** _ **and**_ **the newest chapter of my other fic, Brocode: Beacon, at the same time upon my return.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though nothing much happened. Although less exciting, it was important to have a bit more of a world-building chapter this early on, so that you guys can get a feel for how the world works. I hope this didn't bore you too much, I tried to keep a bit of humour in here, even while keeping the slightly moodier tone that will be the norm for this story.**

 **Another note is use of language, which I'm sure you noticed this chapter. I do plan on using foul language in this story where it fits. Honestly, if I wrote the dialogue realistically to how my friends and I talk, I would probably have to rate this M just for the sheer amount of curses.**

 **Anyways, hope you liked this. Please leave a review if you have any comments, suggestions or questions, and I'll try to respond as needed in the next chapter.**

 **-Dunkacoke-**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Dam Shame

Jaune was slowly woken from his slumber as light found its way around the window shutters. He was reluctant to remove himself from the embracing confines of Heaven that was an actual bed.

They had actually made it to Crestwood, the first town. Of course, it wasn't going to be their hardest task, nor the longest. But it was an accomplishment, something to show that they _could_ do this.

After all, they were only 17 still (was Ren or Nora 18 yet? He'd have to ask), with next to no experience outside of Beacon. Even with all the confidence he had put on, Jaune had still been nervous. But they had made it, and today they would meet the Mayor to see if they were needed.

However, that brought up his current predicament. To meet the Mayor, he had to leave his bed.

 _Fate, why do you task me with these impossible goals?_

* * *

Groggily, the trio of teens made their way back down into the inn in the hope of finding something to eat. As expected, Carmine was already up and about, cleaning up the bar. No doubt he was expecting their early morning search for food.

"Morning Mr. Shawcross, how much for three plates of breakfast?" Jaune greeted as merrily as he could through the morning haze.

"Ah, here's the travelers. Tell you what, I'll hold off on charging you for food right now."

Jaune blinked in confusion. "Thank you… Should I ask why?"

"Well, you mentioned that you were gonna go see the Mayor today in search of work. I assume if you get hired that the city will be covering all your expenses, so I won't charge you for this just in case. Don't you worry," He added at the end. "If you three don't get hired I'll be more than happy to accept your money."

"That's very kind of you Mr. Shawcross," Ren thanked even has a plate of food was placed in front of him. "If we do end up staying in town, will we be staying at your establishment?"

"Hmm… I suspect so. I can't think of anywhere else in town that can house you for longer periods of time."

Team JNR ate in silence for the next little while, content to instead enjoy a nice cooked meal. They had been a rarity on the road; the fire necessary attracted the Grimm, like moths to a light.

 _That_ had been a lesson they had learned pretty quickly.

In fact, there had been many luxuries they had taken for granted, only to now have them pulled away. For example, the quick pace they had set combined with the need for a guard during the night had made for nights of little sleep.

Six hours to be exact. They had decided that ten hours of rest a night was all they could afford, and within that nine hours of sleep, with half an hour on each end to set up and take down their camp.

But with the need for a guard, each person had to be up for a third of the night. Thus, six hours of sleep. Pitied was the one that had to take the middle shift each night.

Jaune was pulled from his thoughts on their journey by Nora asking if he was finished yet. Quickly, he wolfed down the remaining food before the valkyrie had the chance to steal it. _That_ would be a tragedy.

Once they were all finished, Nora, Ren, and Jaune quickly cleaned themselves up and got ready to visit the Mayor of their way out, they paid their thanks to Carmine, who seemed to be preparing for lunch.

"Ah, don't mention it. Oh, also, I meant to tell you. The Mayor might not be at the town hall when you get there, but don't worry, he should be around soon. He is aware of your presence, and your intentions."

"Thanks for letting us know, Mr. Shawcross. We'll see you later."

Crestwood was not the largest of towns, so with the aid of the directions they had been given, team JNR had no troubles locating the large wood structure of the town hall.

As Carmine had predicted, it was vacant when they arrived. However, the townspeople were already busy going about their day. As the group stood and waited, villagers scurried around them; most ignored them but a few shot the teen's angry glances. Just as Carmine had predicted, currently they were not the most welcome guests.

The town hall itself was impressive, at least compared to the town itself. Most of the village's buildings were plain, unstained wood. After all, why spend the time making it look good when it could be destroyed in the next Grimm attack or raid? However, the town hall was made of stone, intricately carved into complex designs. It was also much larger than any other building; three stories tall, with an open-air roof and heavy-set wooden doors. It seemed more like a fortress than anything.

"Ah, you three must be the Hunters, correct?" A voice sounded out from behind them, breaking the trio apart from their thoughts. An oddly familiar voice…

"Mr. Shawcross, you already know we're the Hunters." Jaune turned to the man, confused.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you," He seemed to ignore what Jaune said. "I'm Mayor Carmine Shawcross, of Crestwood." Jaune stared at the outstretched hand, still not fully grasping why this was happening.

"Aren't you the Innkeeper, though? Like, of the inn we just spent the night at? You gave us a free meal not two hours ago."

"Is a man not allowed to work two jobs in this day and age?"

"But, sir, if you are the Mayor, couldn't we have just done all this back at the inn, instead of us waiting out here for over an hour?"

Carmine's proud stature suddenly faltered. "Look, I'm just trying to introduce some formality into this. Humor an old man, would you?"

The group sighed but went along with it. "A pleasure to meet you, Mayor Shawcross. We were traveling in the area and wondered if you and your village had need of our services." The apathy practically dripped off of Jaune's words.

"Ah yes, the local innkeeper told me about you three," Carmine ignored the simultaneous sound of three hands slapping against their owners face. "I have to say, it's rare to get people traveling all the way out to these parts to help out."

"Yes, so we've been told," Ren looked like he was barely holding himself back from doing something very satisfying to the man before them. "So do you need our help then?"

"You know what guys? This whole act is getting old, you three really should drop it." Nora actually had to grab onto her partner's arms to stop him from attacking the Mayor. "After all, you met me already, I'm the innkeeper, remember?"

"Actually Mr. Shawcross, how come you're the Mayor and own the inn? Wouldn't you be busy?" Jaune asked, partially out of curiosity, partly to change the subject before Ren killed them all.

"Ah, good question. Crestwood is a small village, as such there is very little administrative work that needs to be done. The people who live here know how life works, we have no need for some bigwig bossing everyone around. Instead, the position of Mayor is more symbolic; the only things I need to do is anything official dealing with the Kingdom of Vale, or settle the rare dispute. And anyone could do that."

"That makes sense," Jaune nodded. "But why you, though?"

"Well, for a few reasons. One, since I run the inn, I'm usually the first person to meet any travelers to our town, or if not first I'm almost guaranteed to get to know them eventually. So it saves anyone else who could be Mayor from dealing with them. Secondly, I'm a local. Have spent my whole life here in Crestwood,m know the place inside out. 'Course, most people here could say that, but it always helps. Finally, like anywhere else our Mayor technically has to be chosen through an election, which means people have to vote for me. And tell me, who isn't going to vote for the man who runs the bar?"

"So it's more circumstance than anything else that you're the Mayor. It makes sense now." Carmine ignored the subtle jibe, instead going back to the matter at hand.

"Now, about that work of yours. And yes, there is work we need you to do. While you're here, you'll be staying at the inn, and won't have to worry about paying for it. The village has a budget for just this sort of thing."

Carmine continued after team JNR showed their thanks. "Now, do you remember last night, our conversation about the villagers here and Grimm?"

"Oh, you said most villagers could kill small Grimm, but not any of the bigger ones!"

"Wait, Nora, weren't you busy trying to break all the glasses during that conversation? How'd you know?" Jaune looked very puzzled.

"Yea, that's about what I said. Specifically, I said the villagers couldn't do much against ' _a larger Grimm, like a Deathstalker or a King Taijitu.'_ I wasn't talking in hypotheticals then, that is exactly our problem."

"So you need us to kill them?"

"Yep, sadly there is a bit of a complication. See, we need them killed because the two of them are blocking the way to the local dam. As you can see, Crestwood here is built next to a lake. However, it isn't a natural lake, but instead man-made. It was built with the help of the City of Vale, for a few reasons. First, offers protection on one side of the village, since the Grimm can't attack from that way. Second, it provides a great source of fishing for the town, to eat and sell. However, it;s the third reason that's the big problem here. When building it, Vale installed a generator into the dam, so it could power the town independent of the city, allowing us to be more independent. But the generator needs its workers, and currently the route to it is blocked by the two Grimm."

"So, you need us to clear the path down to the dam. We can do that, but I have one question Mr- I mean Mayor Shawcross. You said both the Grimm are blocking the path, right?" Once he nodded, Jaune continued. "Aren't larger Grimm very territorial? How are both blocking the way?"

"Well, they _do_ teach you some stuff up at those schools! This brings us to the complication I mentioned; they've been fighting with each other this whole time. While this means they aren't attacking the village, no one can even get close to them. And their fight ain't gonna end anytime soon, they can't touch each Deathstalkers claws are too small to get any grip on the Taijitu, and the stinger is useless since it can't poison other Grimm. The Taijitu, for its part, is unable to pierce the shell of the Deathstalker. So they just sit there, fighting one another. Since their Grimm, they don't get tired, nor realize that the fight is pointless. They just keep going at it."

"I see the problem. The villagers can't kill them, but they aren't going to move on until the fights over." Ren analyzed.

"Still, it shouldn't be a problem, Mr. Shawcross. We've killed these types of Grimm before; Ren actually killed a King Taijitu by himself on the first day at Beacon."

"Well I'll be, doesn't sound like too big a problem now. I'll show you a map this afternoon, go over the area with you three so you have an idea on how to approach the fight. You can go fight them tomorrow, or even later if you feel like you need the preparation."

"Thank you, Mayor. However, before you go, I do have one question for you, if you don't mind." Ren called out before the man could leave. "Last night, you said that almost all the villagers hate Hunters, that they feel betrayed. How come you don't share that sentiment?"

Carmine actually let out a short laugh at Ren's words. "Oh, don't get me wrong, boy. I hate the fact that Hunter's have stopped helping the border towns recently, hate the fact that we're treated as less important citizens of the Kingdom. But I'm going to take that out on you, not when you guys came all the way out here just to help us. We need Hunters, need their skills no matter how much I hate them. Trust me, I know that firsthand." Carmine's voice took on a darker tone. "Tell me, aren't students at Beacon usually trained in teams of four? Yet I only see three of you."

"Yes, at Beacon you are put into a team of four." Jaune's voice hardened, a dangerous edge creeping into it, almost threatening. Despite his friendly looks, a lesser man would've been scared of Jaune at that moment. However, Carmine had gotten the answer he was looking for.

"That's what I thought. Now, I'll leave you with this: you remember my daughter, Lucy? Well, it takes two people to make a kid."

And with that, Mayor Shawcross turned and walked away.

* * *

 **Here we go, a new update for Roads Seldom Travelled. I don't really have much to say here right now, so… uhh… hi?**

 **Maybe go check out my other stories if you haven't already?**

 **Anyways, happy reading for now.**

 **-Dunkacoke-**


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